Bed bugs are increasingly becoming a problem in not only hotels, but also houses, apartments, and dormitories.

Most recently, the pests were even spotted at a Times Square movie theatre -- sparking concerns across the U.S. over cleanliness and how to get rid of the bugs.

"You can't sleep. You're scared. You're looking from corner to corner wondering what's lurking around," said bedbugs victim Latena Fitzgerald. "And no matter how many times they spray, if you do not spray all of the apartments, it's not going to work."

Bed bugs are nocturnal and can latch on to almost anything in a home, from clothing to luggage and mattresses. The small, oval insects feed by sucking blood and are usually very hard to see.

Despite their name, bed bugs are also prone to hot and steamy places like gyms and moving trucks. Exterminators use bug sniffing dogs to find the pests.

"You know beds bugs would be underneath this little plastic deal around the edge of the box spring," exterminator Chad Jones explained while examining a mattress.

"You'll find them along the edges and then if we were to flip this (fabric) up, we'll find them a lot of times under the mattress," he continued.

"They hide in the fold and seams of the mattress and box springs," J.P McHale of Pest Management added. "Traditionally, a lot of these things have holes in them just from wear and tear (making) easy access for the bed bugs."

People can get ahead of the problem by putting their mattresses inside a bed bug proof bag and by sealing off their personal items when staying in hotels.

One exterminator also recommended if a person feels itchy after leaving a hotel or similar common area, remove their clothes immediately when they get home and place them in the drier for 20 minutes. The heat will kill the bed bugs if they have latched on.

Because getting rid of bed bugs can be extensive, it's recommended that people get a professional when their home has been infested.

Lorie Johnson

CBN News Medical Reporter

Lorie Johnson reports on the latest information about health and wellness. Since medicine is constantly changing, she makes sure CBN News viewers are up-to-date on what they need to know in order to live a healthy life. Follow Lorie on Twitter @LorieCBN and "like" her at Facebook.com/LorieJohnsonCBN.